Rickea Jackson's Path to Top 5 WNBA Scoring Is Clear
One of the most compelling trades to occur in the WNBA offseason was the Los Angeles Sparks' deal of Rickea Jackson to the Chicago Sky in exchange for two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins.
This was part of a roster overhaul for Chicago, which also included them trading away Angel Reese and signing veterans like Skylar Diggins, DiJonai Carrington, and Azurá Stevens. And these moves have paid off to this point in the 2026 season, as the Sky are 2-1 and clearly a better team than they were just a year ago.
The Sparks were betting on Jackson's continued development and offensive upside in making this trade. While she showed glimpses of greatness during her two seasons in Los Angeles, Chicago wanted her to be a top offensive producer.
And that's what she has done to this point. Through three games, Jackson's 22 points per game are eighth-best in the WNBA. She's also fourth in the league in field goals attempted, which is one reason why her scoring might only increase from here.
Why Rickea Jackson Has Top-5 WNBA Scoring Upside
While Jackson's offensive talent has never been in question, the fact that she was in a crowded backcourt that included Kelsey Plum (who's leading the league in points per game) meant that she couldn't get the volume that could turn her into a top scorer.
She can now produce that volume in Chicago, as she's the top perimeter option for the Sky. Not to mention that she has Diggins distributing the ball to her, which will help create easy looks.
The one knock on Jackson to this point in the year is her efficiency. She's currently shooting 38.9% from the field, which is down from her 42.4% a year ago. Plus, she's shooting 31.6% on three-pointers in 2026 as opposed to 34.8%.
But there's no reason to suggest that Jackson won't progress to the mean with her shooting percentages. And if she does, the added volume will mean that her points per game will only go up from here, potentially enough to make her a top-five scorer in the league.
Rickea Jackson tonight 🔥
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) May 16, 2026
• 29 points
• 6 rebounds
• 3 blocks pic.twitter.com/lvnF0JbFWj
Time will tell whether Jackson can sustain this scoring output throughout the course of a season. If she can, she'll have proven why the Sky's faith in her was warranted. And she should be able to lead them to their first postseason appearance since Jackson has been in the WNBA.
In the meantime, expect Jackson to keep getting her shots—with the rate at which they fall determining where she winds up among the league leaders.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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